Shloka 13
Śibi’s Weighing of Dharma
The Hawk and the Dove Trial) — शिबेर्धर्मतुला (श्येन-कपोतोक्तिः
यत्रोत्तराणां सर्वेषामृषीणां नाहुषस्य च । अम्नेश्लैवात्र संवाद: काश्यपस्य च भारत,एष वातिकषण्डो वै प्रख्यात: सत्यविक्रम: । नात्यवर्तत यदद्धारं विदेहादुत्तरं च यः: युधिष्ठिर! परशुरामजी सर्वत्र विख्यात हैं। वे सत्यपराक्रमी हैं। उनके इस आश्रमका द्वार विदेह देशसे उत्तर है। यह बवंडर (वायुका तूफान) भी उनके इस द्वारका कभी उल्लंघन नहीं कर सकता है (फिर औरोंकी तो बात ही क्या है)
yatrottarāṇāṁ sarveṣām ṛṣīṇāṁ nāhuṣasya ca | amneślaivātra saṁvādaḥ kāśyapasya ca bhārata | eṣa vātikaṣaṇḍo vai prakhyātaḥ satyavikramaḥ | nātyavartata yad-dhvāraṁ videhād uttaraṁ ca yaḥ ||
Lomaśa said: “O Bhārata, here is the famed hermitage-region where the northern sages dwell, and where the traditions and dialogues of Kāśyapa and of Nāhuṣa are preserved. This very whirlwind is renowned for its unfailing force; yet it cannot overstep the gateway of Paraśurāma’s āśrama, which lies to the north of Videha. If even such a storm cannot cross that threshold, how could ordinary beings do so?”
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the sanctity and protective power of a great ascetic’s dwelling: the moral-spiritual force (tapas) associated with Paraśurāma’s āśrama establishes a boundary that even a violent natural force cannot transgress, implying that dharmic power can restrain raw physical power.
While guiding Yudhiṣṭhira through sacred regions, Lomaśa points out a renowned area of northern sages and recalls authoritative traditions linked with Kāśyapa and Nāhuṣa. He then highlights Paraśurāma’s āśrama, noting that its gateway—north of Videha—cannot be crossed even by a fierce whirlwind.